The use of video technology is becoming more and more frequent in football.

We now have goalline technology used in Premier League matches to rule whether a ball has crossed the line, while last night Everton’s Spanish winger Gerard Deulofeu was credited with his first goal for his country - thanks to video technology overruling an assistant who had initially flagged the winger offside when he scored against France.

Deulofeu’s whole career could now receive a timely welcome boost from the moment.

But what if video technology had been available in the past?

How might Everton’s history have been different?

We take an ever-so-slightly tongue-in-cheek look at what might have been in an alternative history.

If that goal had stood, it was too late in the match for The Reds to recover.

Everton would have stepped out at Wembley for the FA Cup final, against a Manchester United team they had already beaten 3-0 in the League Cup.

Gordon Lee would have marked his first four months as Everton boss with a major trophy, he would now have a lounge named after him at Goodison Park - and Bryan Hamilton would be regarded with the same kind of adoration and affection later accorded to Andy King.

Former Everton manager Gordon Lee back at Goodison Park

Clive Thomas would have been dropped from the FIFA list, and would not have been in charge of Sweden v Brazil in Argentina, when he ludicrously disallowed a Brazil winner.

Read More

As a result Brazil would have topped Group 3, would have made up a mouth-watering Group B including Holland, Italy and West Germany - and would have gone on to face fierce rivals Argentina in the World Cup final.

Probably.

2005/06: Hibbo is king of the after-dinner circuit with tales of winning European spot-kick

Pierluigi Collina was pulled out of retirement to take charge of Everton’s Champions League qualifier against Villarreal in 2005 - but it is still unclear what the self-proclaimed best referee in the world actually saw when he disallowed Duncan Ferguson’s second half header.

If video technology had been available, the goal would have stood, Everton would have led 2-1 and taken the tie into extra-time.

Read More

With the momentum with David Moyes’ men, Villarreal would have held on nervously for 30 minutes to take the tie to penalties.

Just like they did in the first European Cup penalty-shoot out way back in 1970, Everton would have missed the first spot-kick, but gone on to win with Nigel Martyn the hero and Tony Hibbert the unlikely final marksman.

Hibbert and Alan Kennedy still appear on the after-dinner speakers’ circuit talking about their European shoot-out heroism.

1990/91: Dalglish stays with Reds and Blackburn never win the league

Graeme Sharp celebrates his last ever Everton goal - in the 4-4 FA Cup thriller with Liverpool on 20th February 1991.

It is the greatest derby of modern times - an FA Cup replay which saw Liverpool lead four times, be pegged back four times - and a match so manic, so pressurised, that Kenny Dalglish resigned as Liverpool manager in the immediate aftermath.

Except there shouldn’t even have been a replay.

Howard Kendall later said: “There shouldn’t have been a replay, really, because referee Neil Midgley missed a blatant penalty at Anfield when Gary Ablett brought down Pat Nevin.

A lot of people will look back at how events unfolded at Goodison and say they’re glad there was.”

Read More

He said afterwards: “After we took the lead for the final time, I knew I had to make a change to shore things up at the back.

“I could see what had to be done, and what would happen if I didn’t, but I did not act on it. That was the moment I knew. I was shattered.

“I needed to get out and away from the pressure. After about two weeks, though, I regretted it.

“I felt ready to go back, but the phone never rang.”

Without the intensity of that Cup replay, Dalglish was able to soldier on until the end of the season, when a long break allowed him to recharge his batteries and recover from the incredible tension he had been subjected to.

Graeme Souness would never have become Reds boss, and Blackburn would never have won the Premier League.

Neil Midgeley has a lot to answer for!

1997/98: Sorry Bolton - you go down anyway!

Bolton's Nathan Blake crashes into Everton keeper Neville Southall and the ball bounces towards the goal before Terry Phelan clears it off line

Goalline technology ruled that Gerry Taggart’s header had crossed the goal-line in the first competitive game ever staged at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium.

Read More

Except manager Howard Kendall also asked for a video replay, which proved that goalkeeper Neville Southall had been clearly fouled, so the match still finished 0-0, Bolton still finished below Everton on goal difference - and were still relegated.

1993/94: Mike Walker takes the Blues to the brink of the third tier

Graham Stuart after Everton's last-day escape against Wimbledon in 1994

Anders Limpar’s theatrical tumble over Peter Fear’s outstretched leg was utterly convincing - so much so that referee Robbie Hart was kidded and pointed to the penalty spot.

Graham Stuart kick-started the greatest and most important comeback in Everton history.

Read More

But with video technology to look back on - the decision wasn’t given, Everton were relegated for the first time in 40 years and Mike Walker was allowed more time to try and build a team capable of promotion.

He was eventually found out two seasons later, with Everton - just like north-west neighbours Manchester City - threatened with relegation to the third tier of English football.